Former Minister resigns from Congress

Mysore, Apr 2(UNI) Former minister and senior Congress party member M Mahadev, a prominent leader from Chamarajanagar district region, resigned from the the Congress here today.

Talking to newspersons here, he said he would send his resignation letter to All India Congress Committee(AICC) Chief Sonia Gandhi and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee(KPCC) Chief Mallikarjuna Kharge.

Explaining his decision to leave the Congress after four decades, and that too after functioning as a minister twice, Mr Mahadev alleged that the party, with its historic tradition, had sidelined him, following the admission of former Deputy Chief Minister Siddramaiah and his followers into the party-fold.

He alleged that he and his followers were attacked by the new entrants to the Congress at several meetings in the recent past.

Admitting that he had consulted AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka, Prithviraj Chauhan and expressed his desire to be the KPCC President with an allocation of 85 per cent of seats to the loyalists in the Congress, the party remained silent.

Mr Mahadev alleged that he had voiced his opinion on various issues confronting the party at the high command and in the state, but no action was taken against vested interests in the party, who were attempting to malign him.

He said he would soon take a decision to join a party and contest the coming assembly elections either at Chamarajanagar or in Mysore district.

UNI BSP KVV SB RN1449